Algeria's Hoggar people keep Ramadan traditions alive

[Al-khiyal]

Tamanrasset, Algeria, Oct 2 (NNN-APS) The several parties and evenings initiated in the holy month of Ramadan by Tamanrasset’s inhabitants reveal some facets of the social, cultural and religious heritage, which is held dear by the Ahaggar people.

For some Algerian families, Ramadan is the symbol of abundance and a competition in the culinary arts and of “craving,” but the Touareg families of Hoggar regard this month of piety as a month for austerity and sobriety as well as for reviving and redeeming some traditional cooking.

In this regard, the women prepare the table of iftar (fast breaking) by covering it with purely traditional dishes of Hoggar families. This custom to which families devote themselves, comes back every holy month of Ramadan.

The vegetable soup known as "Hsa" and sometimes a dish of dried and ground dates in addition to traditional tea, constitute the menu of breaking the fast in Ramadan.

Algeria's Hoggar people keep Ramadan traditions alive

[Al-khiyal]

Algiers- Algerians differ in the way they prepare for and celebrate the Holy month of Ramadan. Most people however make it an occasion of family unity, service to society and supporting one another. However, there are the few who use the month to make illegitimate profits. Although Ramadan is supposed to be a month of mercy, generosity, good works and observing what is allowed by God, many Algerian merchants and dealers seek unlawful profits during Ramadan.

As the government imposes regulations and supervises the markets in an attempt to keep the price of goods constant during the month, these traders meanwhile raise the prices of their goods, sometimes to double. Vegetables, meet and fruit experience a huge price boom.

Perhaps the reason for this is that purchases in the weekends of Ramadan are unlike any during the year. Men and women - to an unusual degree - fill the markets and the commercial areas across the cities to buy Ramadan necessities.

Although many Ramadan traditions have changed over time in Algeria, preparations for the month remain the same. Algerians get ready for it weeks before it starts.

Religious practice, like fasting during the day and praying during the night, is common weeks before Ramadan. For women, however, the preparations are not strictly religious; setting up the house to receive guests during the month - a tradition for decades - is a must.

Before Ramadan, women take the responsibility of cleaning the house. Some women go to the extreme of totally making over the whole house; refurbishing and painting.

Algerian women usually buy new cooking utensils, which will be used in cooking the heavy meals and big banquets, and purchase new dishes.

"I am used to preparing for the holy month of Ramadan by first cleaning the house, then taking care of household matters and buying all new for the kitchen, especially dishes," says Sajiyya, a housewife in her late thirties.

But it is not only her home that Sajiyya takes care of.

"My family also helps me in washing the carpets and the mats of the district mosque. We volunteer."

Such preparations for Ramadan - taking care of mosques - are considered first and foremost spiritual; however, cleaning mosques is also the responsibility of the state during Ramadan.

Algeria's mosques, which number roughly around 15,000, undergo intensive renovation. In the months before Ramadan, religious practice and prayers in the mosques are also increased.

The word of God (the Koran) is always heard echoing from these houses of worship. Religious sermons and lectures are also common days before Ramadan starts.

Before the month, many choose to give up habits and behaviours forbidden by Islam. They usually start this "cleansing period" 45 days before the holy month starts, where people flock to mosques adding to the queues of praying worshippers. However, when Ramadan ends, many return to their old habits.

The household menu during Ramadan in Algeria can not be conceived without certain traditional dishes and foods. The Algerian soup al- Harira or al-Hisaa, as the people call it, is a must and is accompanied by home-made bread called al-Kasra. Seasonings and spices are usually added to different types of food.

Al-Buraq, bread filled with cheese and minced meat, is also a famous dish that is eaten at sohour (the last meal before the dawn) coupled with milk and cuscus. Almonds, Baklava and Zalabiya (a round donut-like sweet dipped in honey or sugar) is on the top of the long list of Arabian sweets that Algerians eat during Ramadan.

Algerians have special Ramadan traditions that distinguish them from other Muslims. In Ramadan, the heads of the families take their young boys, shave their heads completely and circumcise them as the last ten days of Ramadan approach, deemed the holiest and the most blessed of all the month.

Also, the child that fasts throughout Ramadan for the first time is given a special gift to encourage him to fast again and reward him for the behaviour, considered a sign of piety and goodness.

In the breaking-of-fast meal, the child is usually given a sweet, cold drink where a gold or silver ring is place inside as a present. The ritual signifies the beginning of a life based on piety and religious observance.

Some workers take official holidays during Ramadan, preferring to sleep during the day in the absence of coffee and cigarettes. Tempers are usually affected by the lack of food, with some people remaining irritable and nervy until they break their fast.

The traditions of Algerians during the month of Ramadan

[nesreen]

Al Khiyal

YOu just reminded me of something in the News About Secular Turkey i saw last night.
The Government of Turkey and its generals are very worried about their secular identity , as they found that 80% of Turks are now fasting during ramadan . they showed Mosques and half the people were praying outside in the streets as there was no room to contain the numbers of people .
More and more women are turning to the Hijab even if they have to face the police . more and more people are finding out about islam at libraries and more people are turning back to islam and that worries Turkey . (who said Bush has not done anything positive in his war on terror ??)

[Al-khiyal]

As Ramadan draws to a close, Algerian families are now preparing for the festival of Eid al-Fitr. While people are happy about the end of fasting, buying gifts for friends and family, along with additional food purchases, can strain families' budgets.

"The end of Ramadan is a relief, but the expense of Eid takes away the last of what we have for the year. Could you go without getting new clothes for the children?" asks Ourida Haddad, a bank employee in her 50s and mother of four.

Young children are expected to be well-dressed for the holiday. Many feel pressure to keep up with their neighbours. The competition for best-dressed children has become something of a tradition.

In central Algiers, shops are practically under siege from the moment they open. Mothers look for affordable and good-quality clothes.

On Larbi Ben M'hidi Street, children's brands such as Materna, Griffa and Petit Poucet offer a variety of clothes at different prices. A boy's outfit comprising of trousers, shirt or pullover and woollen waistcoat or jacket ranges from 2,850 dinars to 3,600 dinars. The guaranteed annual national minimum wage is only 10,000 dinars.

Specialty shops offer girl's outfits for 2,400 dinars and dresses with matching stockings and a sleeveless jacket for 2,600 dinars.

In one shop, a mother says "I have three children to dress" to the shopkeeper, who assures they will "find something nice" for them.

"You just need something new to wear for the day of Eid so that the children don't feel any different from their peers," says Linda Chaib, a mother of two. She described the advent of Chinese items on the local market as "a glimmer of light for small incomes."

On Bab Azzoun Street, a shop called "Yatoo" allows parents to choose the style and touch the fabric before deciding whether or not to buy. This year, the fashion is denim. Boys' outfits with a pullover cost 1,250 dinars, while girls' trousers decorated with embroidery or jewels, cost 950 dinars. A few metres further, "The Best" sells girls' outfits for 1,200 dinars and trendy pullovers for 520 dinars to 550 dinars.

Customers are particularly impressed with the prices at the "Printemps" outlet and tend to not leave the store empty handed. A boy's outfit comprising of jeans and a sweater costs 1,250 dinars and tracksuits are 900 dinars.

For shoes, foreign chains such as "Top Shoes", as well as privately-owned shops such as "Doria", offer a wide range of styles at affordable prices.

A variety of choices and good bargains tend to keep shoppers happy without taking all their money. Consumers need patience and energy to see all choices, but the joy of giving helps make up for the financial hardship and time commitment for many Algerians.

Algerian parents seek affordable Eid al-Fitr outfits for their children